Death of Browning child under review

An incident in which a 1-year-old died after being hit by a truck in Browning on Friday afternoon is under review, an FBI spokesperson said Wednesday.

While authorities have declined to name the child, an obituary indicates his name is Kayson Rides At The Door-Yellow Owl.

An obituary published in the Tribune on July 17 identifies Kayson as a child born in February 2013. He “stole the hearts of all he met and knew him” and was “Made an angel” July 11, the obituary says.

According to Montana Highway Patrol, the 1-year-old died after being hit by a Ford F-150 truck driven by a 69-year-old male.

The truck was reportedly backing out of a driveway onto First Medicine Road when the child, who was possibly behind the vehicle, was run over. No other injuries were reported, and MHP said speed and alcohol are not considered factors.

In Montana, county coroners typically identify the victims of fatal incidents after notifying family members. However, the Glacier County Sheriff/Coroner’s office referred inquiries about the case to the FBI.

The Shelby FBI office, which investigated the incident along with Montana Highway Patrol, referred the inquiry to Salt Lake City-based FBI public affairs officer Bill Facer, who declined to provide information about the incident beyond confirming that a young child was run over by a vehicle within the boundaries of the Blackfeet Reservation.

The matter is still under review, Facer said in an email. “It is policy to not comment on any ongoing investigation,” he wrote. “As a federal entity we are not governed by state laws when it comes to public access to information.”

It is unclear whether the unidentified driver will face criminal charges in the incident.

Reach Staff Writer Eric Dietrich at 791-6527 or edietrich@greatfallstribune.com. He can also be followed on Twitter at @GFTrib_EricD.